Strategy Central

Small Innovations Lead to Big Gains

When was the last time you carefully examined your operation, looking for the one little thing that, if changed, would make the biggest difference?  For most of us the tendency is to look for sweeping changes, dramatically new opportunities, that will put our organization on the map.  According to Peter Drucker though, the real opportunity "is in the smallest missing part that will convert already existing elements—knowledge, products, customer demand, markets—into a new and much more productive whole (Managing for Results, p. 148)."

So...when was the last time you looked for the one little change that could make the biggest difference?

One of the things I love about Drucker's writing are the great questions embedded there.  Take a look at these questions:

• What is lacking to make effective what is already possible?
• What one small step would transform our economic results?
• What small change would alter the capacity of the whole of our resources?

Can you see how these questions could lead to big gains?  What if they became an ordinary part of your operation?  Think that could lead to discovery of "the smallest missing part that will convert already existing elements...into a new and much more productive whole?"

Vote for Pineapple

Is there anything to be said?  I think not.

5 Things You Can Do to Get Writing Respect

One of my favorite bloggers to read is Valeria Maltoni.  Some great insight into a variety of topics.  Tripped across one of her posts over on Blog Herald.  Here are her five things a blogger can do to generate respect.

• Make innovation part of your creative habit; put aside some time every day for “what if” thinking.
• Reward the hard questions. When a reader challenges your thinking, take that as an opportunity to address their questions, make sure they know they’re heard. You get respect when you give it.
• Work on the quality of your writing constantly. Practice, practice, and then practice some more. It’s also a good idea to read a lot. Read the classics; read good writing.
• Think design as container of experience. How can you have a visual impact? How can you communicate your value through design?
• Be transparent and trustworthy. Conduct a personal audit regularly to keep yourself honest.

A very challenging list.  I know I've got a book or two in me.  I've already bought the domain names.  How to execute?  I think these two posts are probably at the root.

• 5 Things You Can Do Today
• Creativity, Innovation, Execution

Check 'em out.  What do you think?

News from the Patio

5:52 p.m. 77°F.  The key today was that it rained.  Not honest-to-goodness Texas rain.  But it did rain.  Gave our backyard a nice dampening.  Gave everything that good smell.  Although they say, "it never rains in California"...it actually does.  Just not a whole lot.  We think it rained last during the first week of April.  So...it doesn't have to rain a lot to be a major event here.  I know it was really nice.

Now the humidity has moved out.  It's much cooler right now.  And really good to be out on the patio.  Got a little Dire Straits going.  Fountain gurgling in the background.  Mark's jammin' spaghetti later.   Good times.

Sunset at Laguna

One of the coolest things about the coaching and consulting side of what I do is that when you're on the phone...you can be anywhere.  Tuesday night I did my coaching call with Chicago from the cliffs above Laguna Beach.  Didn't take this shot myself...but here's where I was!

Guy Kawasaki on Innovation

There's a barrage of great quotes on innovation in a recent interview with Guy Kawasaki over on the WCA News site.  Would have loved to have been able to ask a follow-up or two...but this is good stuff!

Here are a couple gems:

"Frankly, it’s a waste of time to cogitate on if/why the Church has lost its innovative edge. Why waste brain cells on this? What matters is moving forward because historians are seldom innovative."

"Not innovating is more dangerous than innovating. The opposite of innovation is not death; it’s mediocrity. In fact, death — or a near-death experience — might be a better outcome than mediocrity because people are forced to rebuild or move on. By contrast, people can cling to mediocrity indefinitely."

You can check out the whole interview right here.  Thanks to Tony Morgan for the heads-up on the interview!

Bad Things, Man

We watched Easy Rider the other day.  Very weird.  VERY weird.  But it did remind me of one of my favorite commercials.  Dennis Hopper as crazed referee.  Check it out.

The Lone Genius

Don't know if you've found Mike Wagner yet.  Doesn't post a lot...but when he does, good stuff.  Check out this week's post about The Lone Genius.  Great illustration of the power of teams for innovation.  A really good exercise too!

Relational "Change"

Do you know what it is that makes leadership possible?  According to John Maxwell it is a matter of "change".  Not change like in "Things need to change."  More like, "Investing in you is like putting a little 'change' in the bank."  The more I put in, the more I'll be able to take out.

Want a better explanation?  Check out Maxwell's article over at Business Week: Got Change?

News from the Patio

A beautiful day in So Cal.  Great surf and temperature down at San Clemente earlier.  87°F at 5:25 p.m.   Hot...but not radically hot.

Fajitas on the grill.  Mark's jammin' roasted tomato and jalapeño salsa to go with it.  Good times!  Wish you were here!